Okay, I decided to wait on that build because I wanted a PCIe 3.0 CPU and motherboard to support the upcoming HD 7xxx and GTX 6xx series graphics cards. Ivy Bridge is too far away for me right now (they are saying March or April) so I've decided on Sandy-Bridge-E. The high-end AMD graphics cards are due in January according to rumors so that is only a two month wait or even one month if they come out early January.

Okay, I decided to wait on that build because I wanted a PCIe 3.0 CPU and motherboard to support the upcoming HD 7xxx and GTX 6xx series graphics cards. Ivy Bridge is too far away for me right now (they are saying March or April) so I've decided on Sandy-Bridge-E. The high-end AMD graphics cards are due in January according to rumors so that is only a two month wait or even one month if they come out early January.

1. Will an H80 be good enough to cool an overclocked 3930K or should I swing for the H100? I know that the 3930K is not exactly a cool running CPU.

Well, what are you hoping to OC to? Yes an H80 will be enough to cool an over clocked 3930K. Will the H100 *possibly* allow for a higher OC due to lower temps? Yes. Notice I emphasised "possibly". As always OC'ing is not a guarantee- there are other variables such as MOBO and RAM that play a big part in a units over all over-clockability.

2. Will the AX850 be enough to power this build?

I don't see why not. If you're worried about it and can afford it jump up to a 1200Watt PSU. Single or Quad Rail recommended of course. I've been using my 850Watt PSU since mid'06 so over 5 years now. Ran dual 8800GTXs without a problem and those things were far from energy efficient. I imagine the 7970s will be much more power-friendly than the top-tier G80 was so I'd say even running two of them you should be fine. But again, if you are concerned about it just bump up to a 1KW or 1.2KW PSU. If it's from a reputable vendor like Antec, Silverstone, SeaSonic, OCZ, etc you'll be fine- but just check the AMPs on the 12v rail(s) just as a precaution. Likely at that wattage you'll be more than sufficient but always a good thing to check just in case.

3. What happened to the Intel 520 SSD? Rumors were saying early November release date.

Oooh... good question- I've no idea. I don't follow SSDs too closely but I know Slawter does. Maybe he'll be able to chime in here.

4. Is it better to get two HD 7970 cards in CrossFireX or a single HD 7990?

There is no "yes" or "no" answer here. It strictly boils down to preference. So the right question is "Which would you prefer- two HD7970s or a single 7990"?

The Intel 520 was supposed to be available starting November 4th. But that didn't happen obviously. The drives are still listed for a Q4 release on Intel's latest SSD roadmap. And the 710s are now available, so the road would be clear for the 510 refresh. But honestly, once you have an SSD, the differences between SSDs are hard to notice in everyday usage. First generation SSD vs current generation SSD is different but the 520 will just be a refresh, you shouldn't worry too much about it.

Thanks for this info. Is it safe to say that it is not worth waiting for the Intel 520 SSDs? I heard they were suppose to be the fastest SSDs around. Will there be a noticeable difference between the 510 and the 520 in real-world scenarios?

Secondly, how are Hitachi HDDs? I read about the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.D 1TB and it seems to be the fastest (or one of the fastest) HDDs around (if I am not mistaken). How do they compare to Western Digital HDDs, especially the Caviar Black?

The laptop in my sig is my current PC and obviously can't do much on it.

I am thinking of building the PC already but not getting an SSD for now (wait for the Intel 520) and getting an HD 6870 while I wait for the HD 7970 and then I'll give the HD 6870 to my brother who is currently running a HD 5770. So, basically, I will compromise on the SSD while I wait for the Intel 520 and use a HD 6870 while I wait for the HD 7970.